zines

RANT #1 2001 ***

Another debut photocopied piece of slash 'n' epoxy'd residual from a village in Leicestershire. And it seems there's a healthy new resurgence of zine life making a desperate yelp from even our country lanes. Which has gotta be healthy, I reckon. Rant is done by another more experienced punk who survived the early 80's punk wars. But I reckon it's never too late to pick up a pen and scribble your rants down and print em up. Especially if your inspired. It seems Mick the tattooed mohican editor is inspired! Rant comes in the Neo-classic style of 1980's Britain. You can even sniff the tell tale stench of 1982 curling up from its pages. This is mostly a handwritten fanzine done in a rough 'n' ready way, that visually screams punk. But like a lot of debut zines it seems to be struggling to fill page space. But I'm sure all that wasted space will be sorted out once he twists his full ranting head on, we hope? The list of inspiration and contributions ranges from a few dire souls to the more healthier punk wing of the UK scene. Which is a good sign. And the 2 bands interviewed are Stanley's only claim to punk rock fame Barse 77. Who disappointingly come over as a tamer low-alcoholic version of the Mad Chihuahuas. Thank god their racket is more of a laff. And we get a deserved M.D.M. interview poached from somewhere else. Mandy, M.D.M's peroxide singer is one of the few punkettes out there today doing what's she's always done. Sing in a punk rock band, promote and produce a solid repertoire of punk. Mick also throws in a good dose of record, zine and gig reviews. And has a few rants on the boil too. Seems he's a big anti-PC (computers not etiquette - dumbo) zealot. But that cant be helped. I give him 18 months before he's prowling the web like the rest of us. He's poached the UK's most prolific feature zinestress in Mitch Elsden. Who donates a Test Tubes biography. And he gives us a 4-page Anti-Heroes piece too. Their UK guitarist Mark McGee is one of Mick's old drinking buddies. Another promising debut that comes in the rare these days A4 size too.

Free with a large 75p s.a.e. from 11 Poochins Bridge Rd, off Lansdowne Grove, South Wigston, Leicestershire, LE18 4NR, England

SPIN Vol. 17 #5 May 2001 ****

Well for a start this ain't a fanzine although it could well have had it's birth in that realm? I dunno maybe someone out there does? Being as this is the first time I've read this US trendy mag, for a glossy read it sure dishes out the beans! This is the issue that celebrates 25 years of punk. And unlike a lot of UK mags that will be appearing in the next 18 months SPIN thankfully concentrates on the American side of events. Which for me was a great relief. I expecting yet more reruns of the Pistols which I've read so many times before, but this is worth any punks £3.00... once you've clambered over every other page of ads!!!!!! There's 20 solid pages dedicated the punk phenomenon. And they're littered with some great rare pix, eyewitness accounts and trivia. It's dominated by a very good account of the Ramones from day 1. Along with a great rundown of some of their blitzkrieg classics by the band themselves. But is straight 'out of date' considering Joey just died prior to this hitting the shelves. But forget that coz we can decide whether or not the Ramones or the Pistols actually define punk? Well this issue naturally goes with the yanks tee hee. But old Joe Strummer is up there given a page to himself But he ain't aged well and sounds such a sad old cunt! However between his masquerading masquelero hang-up, at least he's honest. Especially when he admits "You couldn't get from Janie Jones to Sandanista quicker if you tried!" A lot of punks from the past and present get an even crack of the whip. With some good punk rock insights including Jayne County (Electric Chairs), Lard Friederickson '(Rancid), Exene Cevenka (X) and Dexter Holland (Offspring). Plus there's also a splendid insight into the West Coast scene with even more rare pix. So like every other mag doing this 25 year thing we get the '50 Most Essential punk records' that any part-timer would choose. Good job these charts are neither here nor there, coz if your a young kid and are going by this as gospel there were some very odd additions indeed. Although the Ramones debut LP being number one was near enough for me. Of the none punk articles, there's a good Dope Delivery Girl piece that'll keep you glued, but that was it! Not the kind of mag I'd normally go for but check this issue out if your into punk. And of course check out their web site

www.spin.com too coz it has bonus articles. £2.95 from Spin P.O. Box 51635 Boulder, CO 80322-1635 U.S.A.

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POSITIVE CREED

Issue #1 2001 ***

Good to see yet another new zine on the streets of Britain. And this debut issue is a particularly smart looking one. With 32 crisp 'n' clear photocopied pages of clinical punk print. And it's all done in a good, well thought out slash 'n' epoxy layout. Which I like a lot! I did have my reservations at first. Especially when I read in the editorial that this zines influences come from nearly all the zines I despise. But Rob Stone the anarcho editor and lead singer in Exeter punk band Abusive Youth, proved me wrong. It seems like he took this up for the similar reasons I did, but with an early 80's protest perspective. There's a massive 7 bands interviewed!!! They're just long enough to give you the right info and don't ramble on. And unlike the usual clinical Anarchist terrain, they pretty much cover the whole punk spectrum. Which is encouraging. We get current UK zinedom whores

P.U.S., the highly underrated Antibodies, the hideously unfunny Anal Beard, Anarcho vets Oi Polloi, Chesterfield bores W.O.R.M., the cringe worthy Bus Station Loonies who sickeningly love everyone. And lastly Rob's own band Abusive Youth get the once over, being interviewed by another zine. There's a profile of fellow anarcho bin man (and grasser) Ian from the sanctimonious 'In Darkness There Is No Choice' zine ha! Good to see he's still busy blowing his own trumpet. And a bloody good Crass retrospective and discography by Mitch (Nihilism collaborator). Another healthy sign was the music reviews. They were small but covered a good selection. But what's this?....no zine reviews boo hoo!!!! Seems like a lot UK zinewriters these days shun away from zine reviews. Coz they feel scared to call em shit or risk being ostracized. I'll give you a tip mate....the more honest you are the better the read, believe me! Positive Creed could also do with a bit more character or humour, but that can only come with time! For an 80p debut this shows signs of becoming a well worthy read. Thanx to Mitch for sharing this with me. It's could be yours for 80p from 17A Charnley Avenue, St. Thomas, Exeter, England.

SCANNER #9 January 2001 ****

This is the 'Cannibal issue' as Hannibal Lector stares out from the latest Vivienne Westwood head wear creation.....a growing boy needs his lunch! He sure does and us starving punks need their staple diet of punk print and Scanner looks like it's the main course. Yeah I'd say this is one the best issues yet! Steve is a lot of things... a malt whiskey junkie, a little reserved for us gobshites some- times, but his main asset is he certainly gives you the goods. Scanner #9 is packed. And I mean secreted with textured print and viewable images. A bulging semi-booklet of views, news and clues as well as the odd... "never knew that?" Which is always good to learn in a zine. Well it's all in this issue, which boasts with ease about covering a very good cross section of the punk public. Sat at the top table of spiky ambassadors of guttural knowledge who get the once over in this issue are the Berkeley Lords of Darkness AFI. They really made me wanna check em out,. There's open heart surgery with Hudson Falcons and a very honest Steam Pig from Dublin induction. We also get Nihilism On The Prowl! evacuee Mick Mercer answering all the questions I forgot to ask, plus a live in the dressing room talk to the Generators. We then get Movielife and a rare new British outfit Anthem Of A Century give us some pretty pedestrian insights but the good far outweighs the mediocre. The main guest articles on the other hand still left me a bit dazed 'n' confused with the regular political stuff being way too highbrow to attract my interest on one side and some dead American superwoman on the other? Plus we get some Cannibalistic facts & figures. Silence Of The Lambs comes under the movie profile. Oh yeah there's a 'Don't Care backlash' letter which has being dealt with. Plus the healthier looking by the issue, of columnists. Good to see they're gradually becoming whittled down and replaced with people who either have something to say or ain't prone to send us to sleep with yawning faeces. There's a great back page image supplied by Mr Hoola Hoop himself, which is nice 'n' sleazy and does it every time! And of course the usual plethora of record zines and gig reviews that on the whole tell it like it is. But a lot of the stuff is really just too indie inspired for my studded lapel. Having said that Scanner is probably the best all round punk read in the UK today, so check it out while you can. Steve Scanner has just took a 3 month Sabbatical to New Zealand of all places and should be still there as you read this. So expect issue 10 late Summer 2001 whenever he comes back? Hope he does coz it's a chunky punk read and well worth the quid of anyone's money. £1.00 & s.a.e. from 6 Chatsworth Drive, Rushmere Park, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP4 5XA, UK. or [email protected]

RIOT ON YOUR OWN #7 ****

Weeeeh Heeeeyyy more punk insight from Belfast which makes a change. The last time I read a zine from Barbed Wire central was way back in 1997 and the short lived but good 'Give It A Blast' zine. And in keeping with that 'Riot Of Your Own' owns the same impressive dry sensa yuma trademark, which is good to read. This is a real basic looking zine but what it lacks in layout and artistic design it more than makes up for in attitude and humour. And guess what? The editor Bill a big Clash fan is an old warhorse from the summer of hate (tee hee). Seems like not all us old cunts go and fade away or become big fat caricatures of our former selves. Well not yet at least. The main theme all through this fast 24-page read is the pictures! Photocopied yeah, but clear quality. And it's always interesting to see what the local Belfast punks get up to on a Saturday night. A small but lively punk scene is caught here for posterity which is another chapter in the province's lively punk scene. And you know what makes this? You can tell there ain't no pretense. The writing is real and honest. Belfast always seemed to have a really good punk scene, it's good to see things ain't changed. The Paddy's are still capable of making bands feel good and wanted. Which is damn rare in the UK punk scene these days. You get chaotic gig pix, reviews, news and views. With just enough young punks/skins jumping around to save us from those jaded looks that ruin other scenes. A glimpse that makes this feel real. Cheers to Mick Rant for throwing this in. And guess what it's FREE! with a s.a.e. from Bill, 5 Glen Road, Belfast, BT5 7JH.

JELLYBRAIN #8 ****

This zine has got more sarc, more innuendo and more scathing bitterness hiding beneath it's jovial English cartoony exterior than the showers in Belsen! Jellybrain makes me snigger in all the wrong places. Paul the editor and erstwhile drummer in his beloved Raggity Anne, now resides on the drum stool of Walsall's Norma Jeans. And he proves a point that not all drummers are slow dimwits who are just in a band to keep the beat. No this cunt has got more axes to grind than a battalion of Hells Angels on a turf war. His sly black humour is a delight at times and at others I question his sanity? He seems to be carrying an almighty big greasy inky chip on his shoulder! The world owes him a living and we're here to pay! Ha! Has he finally lost it?...hope so, coz it's great entertainment watching it eat him up inside. This is a classic example of a pissed off zinewriter airing his views on an ungrateful, inconsiderate public...and I love it! Not coz it's all out ranting mayhem but becoz it's more undermined, below the belt sleaziness at it's worst. There's an hilarious column on 'Why You Don't Find Discarded Porn Mags Anymore' and a spot on rundown on 'What The Fuck Has Happened To Real Films'. These off the wall views hit the ball every time. There's a good Brezhnev tour diary which gives you the real fly on the wall situ. of life on the road playing to 15 people in a UK back street boozer. The zine reviews are dotted with some brilliant anecdotes. Take this splitzine review for example "Another cozy get together as 2 different zines snuggle up to each other for a kiss and a cuddle next to the photocopier!" (tee hee)...see what I mean? It's gems like that what make this essential. His record reviews are in the same league serving up the odd delight such as The Eyeliners rave review....."I like eyeliner on a girlie the same as like the girls.... thick 'n' slutty". Now that's gotta go down as one of the funniest sexist lines since maybe an early Stranglers LP. The interviews in this issue however were weak in comparison with the Frankenstein Drag Queens and Dogwalker coming over as obvious space fillers! But you don't read Jellybrain for insight and background information on bands, this is purely for the sick humour. He even makes 'Paedophilia... Now There's A Touchy Subject' slightly amusing, thank fuck it's a put down!!! As always Jellybrain is inundated with some good cartoon sketches and facts 'n' trivia. So get this 28 page read now. If your American you might not appreciate it's irony quite so much but it's well worth investigating. Oh yeah look out for my war of words on this site in retaliation to Mr Jellybrains recent dissing in Scanner #9. It's gonna be good one. 50p from 4 Clarence St., Nuneaton, Warks, CV11 5PT, UK.

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